The Strangest Times
by catnip851
Summary: Wanderer is having some of the strangest times of her life. It's not strange at all to normal people. But she's always lived in foreign places. So living in a normal household with step siblings and two parents is alien to her. Hopefully she will make it through some of the strangest times of her life.
1. Chapter 4

**Author's note: Hello everyone! This is the third chapter of The Strangest times! I hope you enjoy it, please read and review! Nothing belongs to me!**

" This is your bed...that is your closet for now. The bathroom is through that door, if you touch any of my make-up I will kill you. I'm going to take a shower. You can go ahead and get dressed in here." Melanie says grabbing her clothes and walking into the bathroom slamming and locking the door behind her.

I stare at the faded white door. I quickly turn around and get dressed. I run my hand against my bed before I get into it. The blanket is a pale pink and the pillows are white with beautiful pink roses on it. " You know Wanderer if you examine your bed every night before you go to bed then we will never be friends or sisters." I jump and turn around.

" It's just very pretty." I tell her turning around.

" Okay whatever, just go to sleep Wanderer." Melanie tells me climbing into her own bed and turning off the light. I get into my bed silently and surprisingly fall asleep quickly.

**The next day...**

" Get up Wanderer!" Melanie yells throwing a pillow at my face. I push it off and get up. " Good morning Melanie." Melanie rolls her eyes at me. I turn and gather up my clothes. " I'll meet you down stairs in ten minutes." Melanie tells me. I throw on some gray skinny jeans with a plain black long sleeve shirt along with some black combat boots. I quickly brush through my hair, grab my book bag and speed walk down stares. " Hi Wanda! How are you?" Ian asks me smiling.

" I'm good...how are you Ian?" I ask shyly

" I'm good! Would you like to walk to the bus stop with Mel, Jamie and I?" Ian asks. I blush lightly. " Um...sure I would love to." I say. Melanie scoffs as we all leave the house.

" Be nice Mel." Ian says.

" Not gonna happen Ian!" Melanie says. I look down at my feet and just follow Melanie, Ian and Jamie. " Hi Wanda!" Jamie says happily. I jump and look up at Jamie's smiling face.

" Hi Jamie!" I say to him.

" I'm sorry about Melanie. She doesn't like new people very much." Jamie tells me.

" It's okay. Melanie and I still need to get used to having a new sister. Melanie handles it through anger and rudeness and I handle it by being quite and shy." I tell Jamie. Jamie smiles and laughs lightly. " What are you 30?" Jamie asks.

" No just more mature than you kid!" I say ruffling his hair. Jamie groans.

" Not you too! Melanie ruffles my hair to! It's so annoying!" Jamie says, grinning at me. I giggle.

" You giggle!" Jamie yells. I giggle again, but am stopped when I crash into a rock that turns out to be Ian. I squeal and fall flat on my back. " Ow" I groan.

" Are you okay?!" Ian says helping me up.

" Yes, I'm fine...just surprised me is all." I tell him. I brush myself off.

" She is fine. She could use a little bit more toughing up." Melanie says in her usual rude way. I look over at her, she looks angry like she usually does but her expression is softer like she is worried that I got hurt. But in just a second it is gone. I look away. " Melanie is right. I really want to get a bit stronger." I say smiling at Ian.

" I think that is something we have to agree to disagree on." Ian tells me.

" Okay" I giggle. That's when the bus comes. We all get on. I sit next to Ian and Melanie and Jamie sit behind Ian and I.

I sit quietly staring out the window at the passing buildings. I feel a tear slide down my face. I wish Melanie was nicer to me. I don't know what I did to make her hate me. " Wanda? Are you okay?" Ian asks me pulling me out of my thoughts. I quickly wipe the tear away. " What? Yeah I'm fine. Just thinking." I tell him.

" Oh, well we are at school now." Ian tells me picking up his backpack and sliding out of the seat. I quickly follow him and once we are outside I see that Melanie has found her friends and Jamie has found his. I smile and follow Ian to the main office where I get my schedule. " What class do you have first?" Ian asks.

" Spanish 3/4" I tell him.

" Me too. Follow me m'lady!" Ian says bowing. I giggle and follow him.

The rest of the day is very unexciting. Melanie ignored me and told her friends my name but didn't introduce me. I had lunch with Ian and some of his friends. When I get home I go upstairs right away and start on my homework. Then Melanie comes in. " I don't want you hanging around Ian anymore. He is my friend not yours!" Melanie yells at me.

" Okay fine. I'll stop talking to him." I say, wiping my tears away.

" And stop crying. Get in control of your emotions!" Melanie shouts, she then gathers up her book bag and leaves the room.

I gather all of my soaps and clothes and walking into the bathroom. I turn on the water, strip off all of my clothes and climb into the shower letting the hot water cascade down my body calming me. I sit on the shower floor and sob. " I want to go back to Africa...I don't like it here. I don't understand it here." I whisper to myself.

I take deep breaths to calm myself and soon get out of the shower after my fingers are wrinkled and Melanie is pounding on the door yelling at me to get out. I put my hair in two braids and walk out. " What were you doing in there!" Melanie yells pushing me out of the bathroom and shutting the door in my face. I sigh and sit down on my bed and start to sing:

" All the ways that you think you know me  
All the limits that you figured out, limits that you figured out  
Had to learn to keep it all below me  
Just to keep from being thrown around, just to keep from being thrown around

Yeah every single time the wind blows  
Every single time the wind blows  
I see it in your face (Mmm)

In a cold night  
There will be no fair fight  
There will be no good night  
To turn and walk away

So burn me with fire,  
Drown me with rain  
I'm gonna wake up  
Screaming your name

Yes I'm a sinner  
Yes I'm a saint  
Whatever happens here  
Whatever happens here  
We remain

Now we talk about a wasted future  
But we take a good look around  
Yeah we take a good look around

Yeah we know it, it hasn't been for nothing  
'Cause we'll never let it slow us down  
No we'll never let it slow us down  
(Oh yeah)

Yeah every single time the wind blows  
Every single time the wind blows  
I see it in your face (Mmm)

In a cold night  
There will be no fair fight  
There will be no good night  
To turn and walk away

To burn me with fire,  
Drown me with rain  
I'm gonna wake up  
Screaming your name

Yes I'm a sinner  
Yes I'm a saint  
Whatever happens here  
Whatever happens here  
We remain

Said we remain, we remain

Burn me with fire  
Drown me with rain  
I'm gonna wake up  
Screaming your name

Yes I'm a sinner  
Yes I'm a saint  
Whatever happens here  
Whatever happens here  
We remain"

I finish singing and wipe a way a tear that fell while I was singing.

" You are a great singer Wanderer." Melanie says.

" Thank you, goodnight." I say.

" Good night Wanda." Melanie says smiling. I get into bed, smiling slightly. 'Maybe Melanie actually is warming up to me. Who knew a song could get her to be nice?' I think to myself.

I lay down and fall asleep almost immediately.


	2. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Hello everyone! I am sooooo sorry that I haven't updated for a while. I have been super super busy! I would really love four reviews before I update again. So please read and review!**

" Hey! Wanda!" Ian yells running up to Melanie and I turn around.

" Ian I already told you that I can't go to your soccer practice with you. I have to study for a test that I have tomorrow. Maybe next practice, okay?" I tell Ian. Ian's face falls.

" But Wanda you say that all the time!" Ian tells me.

" Because every time you have practice I have a test, I have to study!" I tell him.

" Fine but tryouts for the high school team are in May. Will you come to those?" Ian asks. I smile.

" Sure" I say. " Come on Ian! I really don't want to be late!" Ian's brother Kyle yells, walking up to us. " And dude deal with the rejection! She doesn't want to hang out with you! I don't know why you keep trying! You should have figured out by now that shes..." Ian's hand flies over Kyle's mouth cutting off Kyle's sentence. I giggle. " Kyle I would rather be outside at soccer practice with Ian but I also want to do good in school. So Ian I will see you at tryouts! Good luck!" I say. Kyle glares at me. I turn to Melanie. Avoiding Kyle's intimidating glare. " Mom told me today that we need to be in front of the school five minutes after school is out or she is going to leave us. So lets go." I tell her. Melanie and I start walking to the front of the school. Melanie glares at me.

" What?" I ask.

" I told you that you couldn't talk to Ian, that you had to stay away from him and everyone else. Why aren't you listening!" Melanie yells at me.

" Melanie people come up to me! Ian comes up to me! I sit between you and Ian in almost every class! What do you expect me to do! I don't know what more I am supposed to do!" I tell her. I feel tears start to well up. " Well maybe you can ignore him! And stop freaking crying about it!" Melanie yells at me again. A tear get slips down my cheek as I get into the car. " Whats wrong Wanderer?" Mom asks me.

" I just feel and hurt myself. I'm fine." I lie, wiping my tears away.

" She's fine, just tripped. I will help her get cleaned up when we get home." Melanie lies to my mother.

**First day of school- Freshman year.**

" Wanda! Get up!" Melanie yells. I groan.

" Mel we have our own rooms now. I asked you not to yell at me." I tell her, hiding my face in my pillow. " I'm sorry but its the first day of freshman year and I don't wanna be late." Mel tells me. I sit up and look at Melanie.

" Who are you and what have you done to Melanie Stryder!?" I ask calmly. I stand up and start gathering up my clothes. " I am Melanie Stryder smart ass! I'm just excited! Oh and you and Ian have all of your classes together besides choir." Mel tells me tossing my schedule at me. I attempt to glare at her making Melanie start laughing hysterically. I grin at her.

**End of the school day. **

" Hey Melanie!" I yell. Melanie turns around and around not able to find me. I giggle. Ian had helped me climb into a tree so that we could freak Melanie out. When Melanie has her back turned I climb down the tree a little bit so that I can safely jump down but my hand slips and fall to the ground landing on my right hand. I scream.

" Oh my god! Wanda!" Melanie yells running to my side. Ian jumps down from the tree.

" I think it..its br...broken" I say, having trouble talking because of the pain.

" Ian will you get some ice and call our parents?" Melanie asks calmly.

" Yeah sure I will be right back!" Ian says running away toward the school.

" On a scale from one to ten what is your pain?" Mel asks.

" Ten" I tell her. Melanie picks up my hand lightly. I scream more tears streaming down my face.

" Is everyone okay over here?" A boy who could be seventeen at the most asks. Mel and I freeze for two seconds then answer. " I..I think I broke my hand." I tell him. I study the boy, he has brown streaked sun-bleached golden hair, light tanned brown skin, honey colored eyes. He is very handsome. " Let me see." He says. " I'm Jared Howe by the way." Jared grins.

**Author's note: Hope you guys liked it! Once again sorry it took so long to update!**


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